Gone and Back Again
by jazzybizzle
Summary: He remembered her vaguely. But then again she was hard to miss. Ya know, with her pink and all. Post-War Ty Laang. Oneshot!


**Here's another post-war thingie. I really hope you all liiike :] These two are absolute cuties and need more fics! (Even if I have to be the one writing them. ...I am okay with that.)**

* * *

He remembered her vaguely.

But then again she was hard to miss. Ya know, with her pink and all.

* * *

During Zuko's coronation, she hugged him.

He didn't know why, but maybe that was just her way of being friendly.

He wasn't expecting her either. One minute he and Zuko are going around greeting people, and the next her arms are around him and giving him a warm squeeze, congratulating him; he barely had time to react before she pulled away and smiled at him. White face, red lipstick, and all. Her grey eyes shined. No wonder he didn't recognize her.

That's when he realized..._she's one of them now_.

* * *

When she didn't show up at Uncle Iroh's tea shop for a little private party, he had to admit that he was confused. He even secretly began looking for her, eyes drifting this way and that. Not completely out of it, but it was obvious his mind was on something else other than the party. Even Zuko's girlfriend, Mai - that was her name, right? - was there to join them. He figured that if Mai was there, _she_ was there too.

But she wasn't.

And it kinda bothered him.

* * *

After that, his schedule went crazy. He barely had time for his friends, being the Avatar and all. He knew that this was coming. This was the part he grudgingly looked forward to as he got older. The older he got, the busier he became. But he always made sure he came to the reunions that Katara threw together at least once a year.

He'd do anything for her.

* * *

When he saw Katara again, he was seventeen. The minute she emerged in Fire Nation robes, he _knew_ that something had shifted between her and Zuko. He couldn't lie and say that he hadn't seen this coming, but he had to admit that if he was twelve again, he would've been a lot more upset.

But for some reason, when she ran down the steps and threw herself into his arms, his smile wasn't forced, and he hugged her back in enthusiasm, swinging her around in the midst of their embrace. She hadn't changed at all, much to his relief.

Well, except one thing.

He was taller than her. About as tall as Zuko had been when he first joined them.

* * *

"I'm so glad you've decided to stay with us," Katara gushed as he walked alongside her through the royal halls. He didn't miss the way she said _'us'_.

"It's only going to be for two weeks, Katara." Aang chuckled.

"I know. I've missed you," she told him in earnest.

"I've missed you too. So what's been going on? What have I missed?"

Katara immediately burst into conversation, and he enjoyed watching her beautiful eyes light up whenever she approached a new subject. When she started mentioning Ty Lee, however, his ears perked up as he listened with interest, "...and it was really difficult for the first few years, you know, since there have been several attempts on Zuko's life. It made me want to stay here longer because I was getting really worried about him, and I just..." She cleared her throat quietly. "I had to talk to him about it. He was especially on edge, so he decided that he could use a few familiar faces and hired the Kyoshi Warriors to guard him - Suki and Ty Lee especially. Since I became very frequent with my visits, he started to worry - and you know how paranoid Zuko can be - " Aang nodded, so she continued, "So despite all I could do to convince him otherwise, he went straight to the Kyoshis and asked each of them which would be willing to guard my room at night. Ty Lee was the first to put her hand up."

Katara smiled, and Aang began to wonder about this new friendship she just formed. "I didn't like the idea of her standing outside all night, so sometimes I would invite her in and we'd talk until I'd fall asleep, and sometimes she fell asleep with me. She automatically apologized in the morning but I assured her that she has nothing to worry about. Her company's actually quite nice. She's more of a companion than a bodyguard to me."

Aang coudn't help but ask. "How is she doing now?"

"Oh, she's absolutely lovely. She practically lives in the palace now. When she's not with the Kyoshi Warriors or Suki, she's with me. We have sleepovers in my room at least twice a week."

"Wow."

"Yeah...Zuko's in his office. Do you want to-"

"YES!" Aang blurted out in excitement, making Katara jump. "I-I mean," he cleared his throat and bowed his head, "That would suffice, my lady."

Katara giggled, and he let her pull him along.

* * *

"Hey, you," Katara peeped her head inside.

Zuko, in the midst of his work, looked up with an arched eyebrow. A small, knowing smile however spread across his face. "You."

Katara stepped further inside, this time pulling Aang in by the hand. "Look what the wind blew in."

Aang laughed at the irony.

Zuko straightened when he saw Aang, his eyes drifting briefly to Katara as she slipped out of the room, giving him a reassuring smile on the way out. The Fire Lord stood to his feet, and circled around his desk to meet the Avatar in the middle.

"Flameo, hotman." Aang bowed, and Zuko rolled his eyes but did the same.

"Haven't changed at all, have you?"

The two straightened out of their positions, both staring each other down.

"Nope." Aang started grinning, finally breaking the silence, and Zuko smiled back, accepting the hug that Aang gave him.

"Don't make it so long next time, alright?" Zuko said, patting Aang's back. "She won't stop bugging me about how much she misses you."

"I'm sorry. Being the Avatar isn't exactly a walk in the park. Sometimes I wish I could wake up and see all of you, like how it used to be. But it's not...And it sucks."

Zuko pulled back from the hug, giving his friend a squeeze. "That's rough, buddy."

Aang chuckled, then sheepishly jerked his thumb in the door's direction. "What's up between you and her anyway?"

Zuko went pink in the face. "Uh..." The younger male raised his eyebrows and waited, trying not to smile. "Well...you see...it's..." He struggled with his words, running his fingers through his hair and shutting his eyes tight. "It's...a bit more complicated than...I-I mean, not that I didn't...I mean-"

"Hey," Aang spoke up and Zuko met his gaze. "It's okay."

"What?" He looked completely taken aback. "I thought you-?"

"I do. Well, _I did_." Now it was Aang's turn to puzzle. "And it _is_ kinda complicated. But I'm happy for you. The both of you."

Zuko looked relieved, but still had his guard up; Aang didn't blame him. He had some thinking to do.

* * *

_"YOU!"_

Okay, maybe he could think later.

A smaller body slammed into his, but he recognized those same arms that squeezed him five years ago. _Wow._ Five years already? It's been that long? He also saw wavy hair. And a lot of it.

Ty Lee pulled away to look at him, her eyes appraising him with a soft hunger.

He was pretty sure the same look was on his face. She and Katara were about the same height and weight-wise, so he _was_ taller than her too. And he had never seen her hair out of it's normal braid before. She wore it in a half-up, half-down style, and that chocolate waterfall framed her face in such an endearing way that he just-

"-you're so tall, peach, and _handsome_, wow!" Ty Lee exclaimed, and it took him a minute to realize that she was verbally checking him out. She gasped. "Look at you, all grown up - and you have _chin_ hair!" She stroked his stubble and giggled, and he couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"It's good to see you too, Ty Lee. You're as radiant as fire lilies!" Was he flirting with her? Probably. But she didn't seem to mind, and she squealed when he twirled her to get a better look at her. She was bubbly and she smelled _wonderful. _"Why didn't you write to me?"

"Oh, I didn't want to bother!" Ty Lee covered her mouth, her eyes widening in guilt.

"Don't worry. I'm here now. We have two weeks to catch up, don't we?"

Ty Lee beamed and grasped his hands in enthusiasm. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

Katara arched an eyebrow as Ty Lee came to her room that night, sighing blissfully as she closed the door behind her, holding her belongings to herself; she leaned back against the door, biting her lip to keep that grin from spreading.

"And where were you all day?" Katara asked, slightly teasing.

Ty Lee lost the fight, and smiled. "With Aang."

"Oh?"

"Yes." Ty Lee dropped her things and practically skipped over to her side of the bed. "He's such a cutie. Why did he have to be the Avatar?" She pouted. "We could have been the best of friends."

Katara lifted a shoulder, then smirked at the other brunette. "Something tells me that you wished you two could be more than 'the best of friends'."

"What makes you say that?" Ty Lee asked innocently, tying her hair back into a ponytail.

"Because no one smiles like that about their 'best friend'. Trust me. I know."

Ty Lee stuck her tongue out at her. "I do not!"

"It's okay if you like him."

"I _don't_."

"Keep telling yourself that. It's only a matter of time before..."

"Before...what?"

"Oh nothing."

Ty Lee shook her and whined, "Kaaaaaat!"

"Tyyyyy!" Katara mocked playfully, and Ty Lee began to pout. "Trust me," she lay a hand over the other girl's, "whatever's happening right now, let it happen. Make these two weeks count, because we may not see him again for a while."

The simple thought made Ty Lee almost...scared.

* * *

"Morning," Zuko greeted, joining Aang and Katara for breakfast.

"Morning!" Ty Lee skipped in after him, and Katara saw Aang visibly brighten and sit up straighter. She slid into the empty seat across from Aang, and they automatically burst into converstation.

Katara caught Zuko's eye across the table; even he arched an eyebrow at the scene in front of him.

The waterbender hid her smile in her tea cup as she lifted it to her lips.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Aang chuckled as Ty Lee pulled him along by the hand, he clad in his robes and she in her warrior uniform.

"Shh," Ty Lee giggled, pulling him around the corner. His last day was tomorrow, and he's been spending the last thirteen with her. Besides going to meetings with Zuko and sparring with him and Katara for old times sake, Ty Lee was the one he went to directly after.

He was supposed to be at a meeting right now.

But instead he was being 'kidnapped' by the very girl who had occupied his mind not just for the past week or two, but ever since Zuko's coronation. He barely knew her, but he felt like he's known her his entire life.

And he doesn't mind at all. His heart pounded in his ears, wondering what was going on in that pretty head of hers. He got his answer soon enough.

Because he was being pulled into a very empty corridor.

Before he could open his mouth and ask what they were doing there, her lips were on his, and he was kissing her back and pulling her closer, and he's _very_ aware what they were doing in there. Her arms were around his neck, bare slender hands cupping his face, and he could _tell_ when she hopped on her tiptoes.

He didn't remember who pushed who, or how they had got there, but her back was flush against the wall and he was flush against _her_. Everything was soft about her, from her lips, to her hair, to her touch, and his inexperienced hands wanted to explore it all.

"Do you like me?"

"Hm?" he hummed against her mouth, nuzzling her nose with his.

"I mean..." Ty Lee licked her lips, looking up at him through timid eyelashes. "I really like you and...I didn't want you to think that I was just-"

He stopped her with a kiss. "I like you too. A-A lot, actually." If he wasn't blushing before, he was now. "How long have you...?"

Ty Lee's blush rivaled his. "Zuko's coronation...You?"

Aang grinned bashfully. "Zuko's...coronation..."

She smiled and bit her lip, and he rested his forehead against hers.

"Why weren't you at Iroh's tea shop after that? I wondered where you were..."

"Would you believe me if I said that I wasn't invited?"

He frowned, fingers tracing small circles on her back. "There were no special invitations."

"There weren't?"

"Who told you otherwise?"

"No one! I don't know...I guess I felt a little insecure and I figured no one would have truly wanted me around..."

His arms tightened around her. "I would have."

She leaned up on her tiptoes again, stroking the back of his neck. "Even then?"

Aang smiled. "Even then."

Their lips met again, and he cupped her face in his hands to make it last.

"I really don't want you to leave," she mumbled, her hands wrapping around his wrists to keep his hands there.

He closed his eyes and caressed her cheekbones with his thumbs. "Me neither."

* * *

When he left again, she didn't have to wait that long.

* * *

He came back in a week.


End file.
